President Bola Tinubu encouraged the newly appointed Brazilian Ambassador to Nigeria, Carlos Jose Areias, to make the creation of direct flights between Nigeria and Brazil a top priority.
While receiving the Letter of Credence from the Brazilian Ambassador, President Tinubu reaffirmed his February discussions with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva regarding the issue during the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, on Thursday, President Tinubu emphasised Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with Brazil.
The President, as contained in the statement, also welcomed Brazil’s leadership of the G20 in 2024, expressing a desire to collaborate closely on global issues of mutual interest.
‘’We have a long history of bilateral and cultural relations with Brazil. You must see Nigeria as your second home and explore the abundant economic opportunities in the country.
‘’I have been talking to some of my Brazilian friends concerning the prospects of investing in dairy farming in Nigeria. We are eager to push these investments forward.
‘’In my recent discussions with President Lula, we agreed to energize the economic development of our two countries, and I look forward to continuing that collaboration”.
In his remarks, as stated in the release, Ambassador Areias mentioned that President Lula was eager to welcome President Tinubu to the G20 Leaders’ Summit on 18 and 19 November 2024, in Rio de Janeiro.
He also extended President Lula’s invitation for Nigeria to join the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty.
‘’I will do whatever I can to improve Brazil-Nigeria relations. Ten years ago, the volume of trade between our two countries was in the region of $10 billion, and I will work hard to improve on the number.
‘’Africa is top priority for President Lula and Nigeria is the most important country for us”, the envoy said.
President Tinubu also received the Letter of Credence from Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Vice-Admiral Seth Amoama (Rtd).
President Tinubu commended Ghana’s active participation in ECOWAS and reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening relations with its West African ally.
“You must feel at home in Nigeria. Our doors are always open and I wish you a pleasant stay in the country,” the President told the High Commissioner and former Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) of Ghana, who is an alumnus of the University of Ibadan and a fellow of the National Defence College, Abuja.
High Commissioner Amoama expressed Ghana’s steadfast support to Nigeria’s leadership of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.
“We will continue to support the able leadership of President Tinubu in every way possible”, the Ghanaian High Commissioner said.
